Pork Tenderloin seasoned with a rub, seared until golden then oven baked in an incredible Honey Garlic Sauce until it’s sticky on the outside and juicy on the inside! A quick and easy pork fillet recipe with high returns for very minimal effort.
Pork tenderloin recipe
Pork tenderloin is like chicken breast – it’s a lean, tender cut of meat and when cooked just right, it’s juicy and succulent.
It is also easy to overcook, and overcooked tenderloin = dry and bland.
Hence the beauty of this pork tenderloin recipe. It’s unbelievable when the pork is cooked perfectly.
But if you go slightly over, no one’s going to notice with this outrageously delicious honey garlic sauce!
What you need
VERY few ingredients! This is another one of those recipes with high returns for low effort – minimal ingredients, less than 10 minutes of active effort for incredible flavours!
How to cook pork tenderloin
The best way to cook pork tenderloin is to start it on the stove and finish it in the oven. Sear the pork first to give it a nice crust (remember, colour = flavour 🙌🏻) then finish cooking it in the oven.
Can’t it be cooked entirely on the stove??
Yep, it sure can, but the outside ring of the tenderloin will be cooked more than ideal by the time the centre is just cooked. Reduce this uneven cooking by bringing the pork to room temperature before cooking.
What about in the oven?
Again, yep, you sure can, but you won’t get the same colour on the surface of the tenderloin so you’ll notice a loss of flavour. But with a sauce this good, it’s forgivable to skip the initial sear! 😇 Directions in the recipe notes.
Look at that sauce glazing the pork!!! Doesn’t it look incredible??!
The Honey Garlic Sauce used in this pork tenderloin recipe has made an appearance in various forms on my website, such as with Salmon, Chicken Breast and as a dipping sauce for the crispiest ever Baked Chicken Wings.
It’s just one of those terrific back pocket sauces that works with virtually every protein. Just a few ingredients that totally transforms when simmered on the stove into a savoury-sweet sauce.
It’s inevitable that it will make yet another appearance one of these days!
What to serve with pork tenderloin
Though you cannot see it properly in the photo above, that yellow/green blur in the background is this Lemon Potato Salad which I added steamed green beans to. A two-in-one carb + veg side that keeps for days, I’m a big fan of those! Here’s a few more:
-
Kale and Quinoa Salad and Garlic Butter Rice with Kale (kale is a nutrition powerhouse and these are 2 seriously tasty ways to eat it!)
Otherwise, serve it with a fresh garden salad tossed with a fresh vinaigrette like French, Italian or the everyday salad dressing used in this Cabbage Salad.
I’d also recommend something to slop up the sauce with – bread, mashed potato, or Cauliflower Mash. What looks like mash in the photo below is actually Mashed Cauliflower. Carb free, creamy smooth indulgence – you’ll see it in the recipe video! ~ N x ❤️
Watch how to make it
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Pork Tenderloin with Honey Garlic Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 pork tenderloin (pork fillet), 500g/1lb each (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil (or butter)
- 3 garlic cloves , very finely chopped
Pork Tenderloin Rub:
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Honey Garlic Sauce:
- 3 tbsp cider vinegar (Note 2)
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, light or all purpose (Note 2)
- 1/2 cup honey (or maple syrup)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
- Mix Sauce ingredients together.
- Mix Rub ingredients then sprinkle over the pork.
- Heat oil in a large oven proof skillet (Note 3) over high heat. Add pork and sear until golden all over.
- When pork is almost seared, push to the side, add garlic and cook until golden.
- Pour sauce in. Turn pork once, then immediately transfer to the oven.
- Roast 15 - 18 minutes or until the internal temperature is 68C / 155F (Note 4).
- Remove pork onto plate, cover loosely with foil and rest 5 minutes.
- Place skillet with sauce on stove over medium high heat, simmer rapidly for 3 minutes until liquid reduces down to thin syrup.
- Remove from stove, put pork in and turn to coat in sauce.
- Cut pork into thick slices and serve with sauce!
Recipe Notes:
- Cider vinegar - white wine vinegar, rice vinegar or champagne vinegar. OR 2 tbsp normal white vinegar.
- Soy Sauce - Use light or all purpose. Do not use dark soy sauce or sweet soy sauce.
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
I love the robe so much, I got another one and put his name on it. Poor boy, now he’s been named and shamed….😂
I’ve made this so many times now – always a winner. Thank you for sharing! Love!
ME ENCANTÓ ESTA RECETA Y SOBRETODO LOS COMENTARIOS Y NOTAS ESPECIFICAS POR CAMBIOS POSIBLES EN LA RECETA Y LAS SUGERIENCIAS DE ACOMPAÑAMIENTOS FABULOSO! MUCHAS GRACIAS POR COMPARTIRLO. EN CUANTO PUEDA COMPRARE TUS LIBROS.
Loved this recipe, I ended up cooking the pork for just the 15mins, followed everything else and it turned out amazing, so nice and juicy! Would make again in a heartbeat
I’ve been making this for possibly a couple of years now. Always a family favourite. Easy and delicious
Best pork tenderloin recipe if followed to the T. This is the one. No need to look any further.
Fantastic recipe. Thanks so much. It’s a new family favourite
This is the second time I have cooked this recipe as hubby requested it again. Both times I substituted maple syrup for the honey. Luckily I have a meat probe with my oven so the pork was lovely and juicy at this temperature. The first time I served it with mashed potato and vegetables. This time with rice and salad as it’s summer here in Aus. Thanks Nagi!
Nagi, I don’t consider myself a chef, but this pork was delicious and so succulent. And it was so easy!!
I took the advice from one of the reviews and doubled up on the quantity of rub. A good move I think.
After 15 minutes in the oven the internal temperature was already 160F; cooked to perfection. I probably reduced the sauce a little too much, but it made it so thick & yummy.
Definitely a hit with us and our dinner guests.
Thank you Nagi.
Kevin – Stratford Upon Avon UK
This was the first time the meat came out right! Soft and juicy just as promised this recipe was clear, simple, fast and fantastic. Thank you.
Made this tonight exactly as the recipe calls for and it was delicious! The sauce is my husband’s new favorite and I agree.
made this its delicious i added more garlic as my husband loves garlic that was all i had to add
Why is there no garlic in the honey garlic sauce
Hi Edward, I’m thinking the same!
Has anyone added mince garlic to the sauce?!
The garlic mince is in the recipe, and should have been in the pan at the end of the sear, before the liquids for the sauce.
Quick and easy and really tasty served with a side salad. I had pork at room temp so cut down the timing to 12m and let it sit 10m in foil – it was really, really tender, moist and had a unique (yummy) flavor with the maple syrup. Thanks Nagi, I also love your miso chicken recipe, easy to prep days in advance and cook on demand. Keep up the brilliant recipes 🙂
Can you use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce?
I don’t know what I did wrong. I’ve never had a fail with Nagis recipes and I’ve cooked lots
The meat was tender and moist but the sauce was black and hard. I added butter which helped. I used light soy sauce. Everything was perfectly measured. No idea why it was so thick
you cooked sauce too much i stop before it was too thick
My sauce did the same thing. I think it was in the oven a bit too long , then when I reduced it it turned into honey garlic candy
I made this recipe for Christmas and it was great! I made it in the oven and drizzled the sauce over every half an hour. So easy and perfect. Everyone lived it. Thanks
I made this for my family. It was absolutely delicious.
I appreciated the explanation of when to remove it from the oven to end up with slightly pink, tender pork.
Thank you!
Amazing! Made it for Christmas Day dinner. Yummy! Doubled the sauce. I marinated pork overnight with garlic, olive oil, salt & pepper. Took it out 1 hour before starting prep. Roasted 15 minutes & it was perfect.
Was lovely, thourgh I used a slurry of;
1 desert spoon potato starch
2 tablespoon water
Mix together and then tip into the sauce while meat is resting separately.
This recipe was very eaay and tasty. I did add some habanero powder to the rub since we like spice and added about a teaspoon of fresh ginger since i had some. Liked it a lot!!